Shop wisely for happy returns

By Bankrate.com

Want to take the pain out of Christmas returns? Do a little reconnaissance before you shop and set aside one envelope for all of your holiday receipts.

For retailers, "returns are part of business," says Daniel Butler, the vice president of merchandising and retail operations for the National Retail Federation. "Retailers plan for returns, and they expect it. It's part of doing business."

If you adopt the same attitude, you can shop smart. Before you even hit the cash registers with your gifts, check those return policies. Can your gift recipients bring the items back? How much time will they have to return?

"Understand the return policies when you make your purchase," Butler says. "If it's not posted on the sign, ask."

The more time stores give you, the easier it is to fit returns into your schedule. Bare minimum: "at least two weeks after Christmas," says Kristina Matisic, a co-author of "The Shopping Bags: Tips, Tricks, and Inside Information to Make You A Savvy Shopper."

Many retailers are willing to relax return policies during the holidays. Matisic recently negotiated for a longer return window. "In my case, they wrote a new date on the gift receipt," she says.

"The last thing any of us want to do is go back into the stores right after Christmas," Matisic says. "I want something in January."

Dealing with sale merchandise

Will returns earn a store credit, a gift card or cash? Will they earn full value or just what the item is worth at the after-holiday, markdown sale price?

That's especially important if you're buying seasonal merchandise or something on clearance. "Sometimes all sales are final," says Carol Schroeder, a co-owner of Orange Tree Imports in Madison, Wis., and the author of "Specialty Shop Retailing." And if it's an item that the store will mark down after the holiday, it may chose to offer only the value of the item at the time it's returned.

"I tend not to buy things on sale when I'm buying a gift because it can make it more difficult to return," Matisic says. "Many sale items are final sales."

If the existing return policy doesn't suit you, negotiate for what you need, get it in writing on the receipt and have the clerk sign it.

Sometimes the policy will vary with the item. Many times, electronics can't be returned at all, or there might be a restocking fee charged when you make the return. Giving electronics? Be extra careful and ask how returns work, Butler says. If you're not comfortable with the answer, think about a different item or even a gift card.

You may be able to get around restocking fees if the box hasn't been opened, Butler says.

Bargaining with retailers

"I think all these things are negotiable, and it never hurts to ask," Matisic says. Prices for electronic goods are so competitive that one store might be willing to match a competitor's more flexible return policy, she says. If the store down the street isn't charging a restocking fee, use that as a bargaining chip.

To make returns easier or just less embarrassing, don't use those upscale retail boxes for discount-store gifts. That strategy can unravel faster than a cheap sweater if your sweetie needs to return or exchange the item. Stick with a generic box or one that matches the actual store.

To simplify, double up on your receipts when you shop. Get gift receipts and regular receipts for each item (a gift receipt is similar to the original but without the prices).

Keep the gift slips with the gifts, and keep your own regular receipts in an envelope marked "holiday gift receipts," Butler says. That way, if you have to return something, you have all the paperwork in one place.

When you give someone the gift, let them know that the gift receipt is in the box, just in case they need to make a quick exchange, and to prevent them from throwing it away by accident, Butler says.

And if you lose that all-important receipt? Don't panic. Call the store and find out what, if anything, you can bring to document your purchase. Given a little notice, sometimes retailers can track down their own copies of receipts, Butler says.

Returning online purchases

Buying online is easy. Sometimes returning items you've bought online is a little more complicated than point and click. One way to make it easier: Buy from stores that also have regular retail locations.

That way you can buy online, but you (or your gift recipient) has the option of returning items to the store, says Matisic.

You can also elect to shop on Web sites that offer free return shipping, says Hillary Mendelsohn, the author of "Thepurplebook: The Definitive Guide to Exceptional Online Shopping."

Before you buy, find out what happens if someone returns a gift. Will he or she get a credit? Will the Web site credit your card? Does the site have a customer-service telephone number in case you or a gift recipient has a problem or question?

Timing is even more critical when it comes to buying online because you have to allow for shipping. "You want to see a fair amount of time from the point the person actually receives the merchandise to when they have to return it," says Mendelsohn. Her optimum: 14 days or more.

Look at the whole Web site, not just the gift you're buying. If your loved one's taste doesn't match your own, are there other items on this site that might appeal? This is one instance in which larger sites with more types of merchandise might have an edge over smaller, specialty-store sites, says Mendelsohn.

When shopping online:

• Look for a secure locked server to protect your financial information. Always use a credit card, not a debit card.
• Hit "print" before you submit your order. That will give you an itemized list of everything you've purchased and when.
• If the boxes are coming to you first (or if you're the recipient), "keep the packaging materials," Mendelsohn says. Some retailers will include bar codes or stickers on the boxes or plastic bags that come with the items. Include them with returns.
• Save a copy of the packing list. It can act as a receipt if you need it, says Mendelsohn.

Timing and attitude

What do shoppers hate most about returns? The thousands of other shoppers out doing the same thing. So this year, be smart about it.

"I would avoid making the return the first couple of days after Christmas," says Schroeder. The closer you get to the new year, the more likely you can "save yourself a whole lot of standing in line."

On the flip side, "the longer you wait, the less likely sizes and colors will be available," Butler says.

When you make the returns, ask for exactly what you want. And be prepared to ask several times if necessary. "Don't rant and rave if it's not going your way," says Matisic. "The key is to speak to the right person who has the authority to make the decision to grant you what you want."

This article was reported and written by Dana Dratch for Bankrate.com.